House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-05-16 Daily Xml

Contents

Quad Bikes

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:55): My question is to the Minister for Transport. Can the minister update the house on quad bike fatalities and injuries and steps, here and around Australia, to make their use safer for adults and children and whether there are any planned age restrictions?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (14:55): Thank you, member for Florey. I thank you very much for that question. From the outset, can I say that I will take on notice to get a detailed and complete answer to you, but in the broad can I say that quad bikes are a difficult issue. They are difficult because, whilst they are a vehicle, they are predominantly used on farm, and so there are some complexities around, 'Is this a road safety issue or is this essentially a safe work issue?'

There is work being undertaken by SafeWork SA, and I will undertake to have a chat to the Treasurer in the other place about that. I know that there is work being undertaken by the ACCC around this as well. However, I want to highlight a broader issue, and that is the fact that agricultural deaths are over-represented when it comes to workplace accidents and workplace deaths. In my community, it came home to roost a couple weeks ago, when a 22 year-old man called Stanley Dier died working on his family farm, which is probably about 1½ kilometres from my electorate office. It was devastating for our local community.

Whilst a quad bike was not involved in that instance, I do know that there are dozens and dozens of deaths across Australia with quad bikes, and I know that the rate of injury is far higher than that. However, I do want to be apprised more completely of the situation, and I will undertake to take that question on notice to get a detailed answer. I do note that we in this government have a very open mind when it comes to safety improvements, and I will be talking and working with the relevant minister in the other place to understand what is the best way forward on this very difficult issue.